Monday, June 11, 2012

Aussies buying Kiwi troops @$250,000 each

The Australian Army wants snipers, military police, pilots and dentists.
Kiwi soldiers are being head-hunted to join the Australian Army with $250,000
cash bonuses.
The hired guns are getting the lucrative sign-on fee, as well as fast-tracked
citizenship, in a bid to boost Australia's military ranks.
But the move to recruit foreign "mercenaries" from New Zealand - and other
countries including America, Germany, South Africa, Poland and Singapore - has
angered veterans' groups across the Ditch.
War graves advocate John Saddington told the Herald Sun newspaper in
Melbourne that the practice was "an absolute disgrace", adding: "We are hiring
mercenaries."
The NZ Defence Force, meanwhile, confirmed yesterday that it employs a
similar "lateral recruitment" process to attract soldiers from around the world.
A spokesman said it was "fairly standard practice" for international armies to
trade staff.
The Australian Army wants snipers, military police, pilots and dentists,
while the Navy needs submarine technicians and medical office
Foreign recruits can also get their Australian citizenship fast-tracked after
three months of service.
Figures obtained by the Courier-Mail in Brisbane reveal that 726
international military personnel have arrived since 2006 at an estimated total
relocation cost of $128 million.
"The ADF [Australian Defence Force] contributes to the cost of relocating
lateral recruits," a Defence Department spokesman told the paper.
"The costs vary according to the family composition and size, but is
typically A$150,000 to $200,000 [$192,000-$256,000]. Given the significant cost
of training and building experience in new military recruits, this cost
represents good value."
The ADF said new trained soldiers earn about A$56,000 a year. Salaries
increase with experience and promotions.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10812382